Creature feature

You have helped me in the past with our dog. Thank you! Now I have another question. Duke is a large mixed breed, part yellow Labrador retriever. We have a lake house and during the summer he is in the water 80 percent of the time. He gets a sour smell. I’ve tried having him completely dry in the sun, towel drying him first, and it doesn’t help. I bought Nature’s Miracle Skunk Odor Remover and used it as a mist once a week. I also give him a bath biweekly with a baking soda-based dog shampoo. I am afraid to wash him more often. Do you have any tips for this?

Wet dog odor - phew - should go away after a bath, even if it’s compounded by a roll in something stinky or a swim in especially dank water. Since the smell persists despite your efforts to get rid of it, this seems like a problem for a professional so I turned to Angela Kumpey, owner of Angela’s Grooming in East End, for advice.

Kumpey, who has groomed a lot of smelly dogs during her 17 years in the business, says a problem such as Duke’s could mean that there’s more going on than simple body odor. The problem could be caused by a skin condition or a medical problem. She recommended taking Duke to his veterinarian for an examination to rule out issues such as a thyroid disorder, ear infection, tooth decay or leaky anal glands.

An odor that’s like rotting fruit could indicate a yeast or bacterial skin infection, according to Vetstreet.com. Dogs with floppy ears such as those on a Lab are prone to ear infections that give off a stench like smelly socks.

If the vet finds no health issues that could explain the odor, and since bathing doesn’t take care of it, Kumpey says a deodorizing spray may be your best bet for a sweet-smelling resolution. You can find several choices at a pet supply store.

Kumpey says she uses Show Season, which comes in about 40 scents. Duke could smell like a peach, apricot-chamomile or pumpkin spice. Show Season is only available from grooming services.

I’ve noticed that my dog, Simone, always smells better after a bath at the grooming service than she does when I bathe her myself, although we use the same shampoo. The difference, I learned, is time - they spend more time rubbing the shampoo into her fur and letting it soak in. Always in a hurry, I tend to rinse her as soon as I’ve worked up a good lather.

To have a good deodorizing (or skin moisturizing) effect, shampoo needs to stay in the fur at least 15 minutes. If you find out that Duke’s sour smell doesn’t have a medical cause, then try bathing him for a longer amount of time - perhaps leaving the shampoo on him for 20-25 minutes.

You can turn the bath into “spa time” by massaging him while the shampoo does its thing. Be sure to use deodorizing shampoo with moisturizer in it (or follow the shampoo with a doggy creme rinse) as all that time in the water and sun could dry out his skin.

Another alternative is to take Duke to a professional grooming service and let them tackle the problem, plus ask their advice on what you can do at home.

Let me know how this turns out so I can share your solution with readers.

Do you have a question about pets?

We’ll get you an answer from an authority. Send your question to Rhonda Owen, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, P.O. Box 2221, Little Rock, Ark. 72203 or email [email protected]